HUP9900844A2 - Method and equipment for handling objects at high speed - Google Patents

Abstract

Baggage handling system, which contains several baggage grinding trays (14) for conveying the baggage bags (16) and a stone conveyor (12) for conveying the transfer trays (14) at a given speed. A diverter optionally removes the scum (16) from the stone crusher (12) and transfers the scum (16) to a collection device. The collection device slows down the piles (16) received from the mine dredger (12) and places the decelerated piles (16) on a loading structure at an essentially constant speed, which is independent of the speed at which the piles (16) were diverted from the mine dredgers (12). The unloading mechanism is a stowage structure having wheel guides and an actuation mechanism that gently stows the baggage (16) from the collection bin to another area, such as the sorting area of an airport baggage handling system (10). ŕ

Description

Figure 1

Who

Method and apparatus for high-speed handling of objects

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for handling objects, and in particular to a method and apparatus for processing and classifying loads in a manner that allows the objects to be introduced into a processing station in a controlled manner.

Conveyor systems are widely used to move objects from one point to another. In factories, conveyors move objects along assembly lines from one workstation to another, retrieve materials from warehouses, and deliver finished products to storage locations. In airports, conveyors are used to transport luggage and other packages from ticket counters to handling areas, where individual items are loaded onto trucks and delivered to waiting aircraft. Conveyors are also used to move luggage from aircraft to baggage claim in airport terminals. These systems can be quite long, operate at a very wide range of speeds, and come in a wide variety of designs.

When items such as luggage arrive at a final or intermediate destination, they usually need to be brought to a standstill before further processing. At low speeds, the items can be dropped into a stack at the end of the conveyor for further manual processing, or they can be pushed sideways off the conveyor by a pusher or deflector. When items are conveyed on a tray or other carrier, as is common practice with luggage, other devices such as tumbling devices must be set up to lower them, or the packages must be removed from the carrier in some other way. Luggage is generally durable and such handling causes little damage. However, when luggage or other items are moving at high speeds, it is not possible to safely push or knock them off the conveyor. To stop the item, the kinetic energy of the moving package must be dissipated, and if this energy is

- 2 the package itself or other adjacent packages often cause damage. High-speed tumbling can also damage packages. In addition, when packages have to be handled manually after leaving the conveyor, there is a high risk of injury to personnel working near the end of the conveyor. Finally, when packages arrive at a station in rapid succession, it is very difficult for personnel processing the items to work efficiently. However, slowing down a conveyor results in lower throughput and lower efficiency. Therefore, systems today operate at relatively high speeds and safety measures are needed to prevent damage to packages and other objects leaving the conveyor and to avoid accidents to personnel working near the conveyor.

The present invention addresses these and other problems by providing an article handling system comprising a high-speed conveyor for conveying articles, a deflector for removing articles from the high-speed conveyor, a collecting conveyor for receiving articles from the high-speed conveyor, and an unloading device for removing products from the collecting conveyor, which device may be a tripping device when the products are conveyed on trays on the conveyor. The collecting conveyor slows down the products leaving the high-speed conveyor and transfers them to the unloading device at a substantially constant speed, a speed that is independent of the speed at which the products are deflected from the conveyor.

In addition, the invention includes a novel tipping device that gently tips products off the conveyor with a smooth, noiseless motion and is simpler in construction than previously known tipping devices. The tipping device is extremely useful in connection with the subject product handling system, but can also be effectively used in most cases where a baggage tipping device is required and even in cases where previous baggage tipping devices were too cumbersome or too expensive.

- 3 maintenance bays. The chute comprises a substantially horizontal table having a leading edge and a trailing edge and a support for supporting a container on the table. The table has a leading edge support and a guide rail for guiding the table support. The guide rail has a first end at a first level and a second end at a second level, the second level being lower than the first level. An actuator is provided for moving the table and the first table support along the guide rail until the leading edge support reaches the second end of the guide rail.

The present invention also includes a baggage handling method, wherein transfer trays carrying baggage travel on a conveyor at a first speed and at least a portion of the trays carrying baggage on the conveyor are diverted to a collection bin to form a collection line there. The baggage is unloaded from the diverted trays at a second speed that is independent of the conveyor speed. The trays can be removed from the collection line after the baggage has been unloaded. The second speed can be substantially constant to facilitate unloading. During tipping, the front of the tray can travel on a curved and downward path during unloading and the rear of the tray can travel on a substantially horizontal path during unloading.

The present invention may be particularly useful in connection with baggage handling systems such as those used in airports and for the sake of simplicity the invention will be described in the following in terms of an airport baggage handling system. It is understood, however, that the invention is not limited to airport applications and may be used in connection with other baggage handling systems where gentle handling of products is required.

Therefore, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a product handling system that minimizes damage to the products being handled.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved tripping device for tripping objects from trays.

- 4 It is yet another object of the invention to provide a baggage handling system comprising a collection container disposed between a high-speed baggage conveyor and a baggage tray chute, which allows the chute to operate independently of the speed of the high-speed conveyor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a baggage handling system in which the baggage carrying trays are routed to a suitable handling station, where their contents are emptied and automatically directed to a storage location from where they can be returned for further use.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved luggage carrier tray tipping mechanism driven by a rotary motor.

These and other objects of the invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a baggage handling system according to the invention, wherein the system includes a baggage carrier tray trap;

Figure 2 is a side view of the trap shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side view of the luggage carrier tray placed on the trap shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top view of the luggage carrier tray shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side view of the luggage carrier tray shown in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a rear view of the luggage carrier tray shown in Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a front view of the trap shown in Figure 2;

Figures 8A-8J are side views of the trap of Figure 2, illustrating the movement of the trap during a complete operating cycle;

Figure 9 is a top view of a second embodiment of the trap according to the invention; and

Figure 10 is a side view of the trap of Figure 9.

- 5 In a preferred embodiment of the object handling system 10, as shown in FIG. 1, the invention comprises a high-speed conveyor line 12 for conveying trays 14 carrying baggage or other cargo 16, comprising at least one collecting conveyor 18, a high-speed deflector 20 for individually diverting trays 14 from the high-speed conveyor line 12 to the collecting conveyor 18, and a chute 22 for receiving the trays 14 from the collecting conveyor 18 and conveying the baggage 16 from the trays 14 to a handling room 24 of the airport for further processing. The high-speed conveyor 12 is preferably a belt conveyor and the collection conveyor 18 may be a pressureless collection conveyor or a simpler collection conveyor that allows the trays to collide with each other. The stop 25 shown in Figure 7 at the end of the collection conveyor in front of the chute 22 serves to prevent the trays 14 from entering the chute 22 until they are recalled. This arrangement allows the chute 22 to operate at a consistent rate and to gently feed the items into the handling area. When the trays 14 are diverted from the high-speed conveyor line 12 at a faster rate than the chute 22 is operating, the trays 14 will accumulate in front of the chute 22 without affecting the operation of the chute or slowing down the operation of the high-speed conveyor line 12. The length of the collecting conveyor 18 depends on the speed of the high-speed conveyor line 12, the operating speed of the chute 22, and the number of baggage carrier trays 14 expected to arrive on the collecting conveyor 18 at any given time under normal circumstances. For example, in a typical airport configuration, approximately 180 trays 14 are expected to arrive at the handling area 24 during a 30-minute period, which is approximately six trays 14 per minute. The chute can safely operate at six or more packages per minute, and therefore the intermediate storage need only be long enough to accommodate the number of trays. A further conveyor 26 is provided downstream of the chute 22 to receive and transport empty trays 14 to a

- 6 storage locations (not shown) or for routing them back to ticket counters or other locations where they are needed.

As shown in Figure 2, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tumbler 22 includes a conveyor belt section 28 mounted on a movable table 30 so as to receive trays from the collection conveyor 18. The table has a leading edge 31 and a trailing edge 33. The table 30 has rails 32 and a portion 34 of each tray 14 is positioned below the rails 32 when the tray 14 is on the tumbler 22 to hold the trays on the tumbler 22 during tumbling. The table 30 is mounted on two pairs of wheels, front wheels 36 at a first distance from the table and rear wheels 38 at a second distance from the table. Since the distances of the wheel axles from the table are different, separate brackets 40, 42 are provided for the wheel units. Both brackets have front portions 44, 46 for holding the table 30 and the conveyor belt section 28 in a substantially horizontal position. The brackets 40 of the front wheels 36 are inclined outwardly and downwardly from the front portion 44, while the brackets 42 of the rear wheels 38 are substantially horizontal. Thus, when a suitable actuator 48 pushes the table 30 towards the brackets 42, the front edge of the table 31 moves downwardly, while the rear edge of the table remains substantially at its original level. As a result, the luggage carrier tray 14, supported on the tumbler 22, slides forward and dumps its contents into a receiving space 50 below. The actuator 48 then retracts the rear edge of the table 30 toward the actuator 48 to return the table to its original position. Unlike previous tumblers where the luggage was suddenly pushed off a tray, the present arrangement provides a gentle system that gradually performs the tumble and gently removes the luggage therefrom. The curvature or large radius of the inner walls 52 of the trays 14 contributes to the gentle release or tumble of the luggage from the trays. A complete tumble cycle is illustrated in Figures 8A-8J.

In addition to the fact that the luggage is tipped over gently, the actuator 48 driving the tipper 22 can be a common rotary 54

- 7 motor. The trap 22 travels from its initial position shown in Figure 8A through the entire tripping cycle and returns to its original horizontal position during a single rotation of the drive shaft of the motor 56. This is an improvement over previous systems where complicated actuators were used to control the position and operation of the trap. The improvement thus allows for more economical manufacture and operation of the trap. The rear edge 33 of the trap table 30 is suspended from a first rod 58 having a free end 59 facing the general direction of the motor 54. A second rod 60 is attached to the drive shaft of the motor 56 and rotates therewith. The end 62 of this second rod 60 is connected to the free end 59 of the first rod 58 by means of a pin 63 or other device which allows the connected ends of the rods 60 to rotate about a common axis. As the second rod 60 rotates through the first 180 degrees of the motor cycle, the first rod 58 and with it the table 30 are displaced towards the leading edge 31, away from the motor 54. This sequence is shown in Figures 8A-8E. At half the full rotation of the motor 54, the table 30 is in a substantially vertical position and any luggage on a tray falls off it. As the second rod 60, together with the drive shaft of the motor 54, rotates further towards its starting position as shown in Figures 8E-8J, the first rod 58 is retracted towards the trailing edge 33 of the table 30, back to the motor 54, until the table 30 reaches its original starting position at the end of the motor cycle. Thus, each cycle of the tumbler corresponds to one motor rotation cycle and the tumbler position can be easily controlled by controlling the motor, without the use of complicated connecting rods and control devices.

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention in which the first wheels 36' are positioned near the front edge of the table 30, but which is otherwise identical to the trap of the first embodiment. Although the wheels 36, 36' and 38 are shown as a pair, a single wheel, or three or more wheels may be used in place of these wheel pairs without departing from the scope of the invention.

- 8 The foregoing has disclosed, based on its preferred embodiments, an invention which accomplishes each of the objects of the present invention, as will become apparent hereinafter, and which also provides a new and improved method and apparatus for high-speed handling of products.

Of course, various changes, modifications and variations from the principles of the present invention can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. It is our intention that the present invention be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims (22)

Patent claims 1. A baggage handling system, characterized in that it has a plurality of trays for carrying baggage; it has a first conveyor that conveys the trays at a given speed; at least one unloading mechanism for removing baggage from the baggage carrying trays; an intermediate collection container is provided between the first conveyor and the unloading mechanism; it has a mechanism for selectively diverting trays from the first conveyor to the intermediate collection container; which unloading mechanism unloads the trays at a speed substantially independent of said speed. 2. A baggage handling system according to claim 1, characterized in that a second conveyor is connected to the unloading device for removing the trays from the unloading device after they have been emptied. 3. A baggage handling system according to claim 2, characterized in that it has means for individually transferring the trays from the intermediate storage to the unloading device. 4. The baggage handling system of claim 3, wherein the intermediate storage bin has a first end adjacent the first conveyor and a second end adjacent the unloading mechanism, and the second end is at a lower level than the first end. 5. The baggage handling system of claim 4, wherein the second conveyor is located lower than the unloading mechanism. 6. The baggage handling system according to claim 5, characterized in that the intermediate storage comprises a roller conveyor operating on the gravity principle. 7. The baggage handling system according to claim 6, characterized in that the baggage tipping mechanism consists of: a substantially horizontal table having a leading edge and a trailing edge; a tipping conveyor mounted on the table so as to be parallel to the front and rear edges and aligned with the collecting bin; a holder for the luggage trays on the tumbling conveyor; a pair of front support wheels spaced apart; a second spaced rear pair of wheels; a pair of front wheel guide rails for carrying and guiding the front support wheels, wherein the first end of the front wheel guide rails is at a first height and the other end is at a second height; a second pair of wheel guide rails for carrying and guiding the rear wheels, the second pair of guide rails being substantially at the same height as the first pair and being substantially horizontal; and an actuator for moving the table on the support wheel guide rails. 9. A baggage handling system according to claim 8, characterized in that the trays include edge sections interacting with the holder; 10. Device for unloading containers, characterized in that - 11 has a substantially horizontal table with front and rear edges; it has a holder for holding the container on the table; there is a front table holder; a guide rail for guiding the first table support, wherein a first edge of the guide rail is at a first level and a second edge is located lower than the first level; a second table support for holding the rear edge at a level higher than the second level; has an actuator for moving the table and the front table support along the guide rail until the front edge support reaches the other end of the guide rail. 11. The device of claim 10, wherein the first table support comprises at least one wheel and the guide rail comprises at least one track for receiving the at least one wheel. 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one wheel comprises a first spaced pair of wheels and the at least one track comprises a first spaced pair of tracks. 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the second table support comprises first and second rear support wheels separated by a second distance, and the device further comprises guide rails for the first and rear wheels. 14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that the guide rails of the front and rear support wheels have first and second tracks corresponding to the second distance. 15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that the actuating mechanism comprises a motor whose drive shaft is connected to the table by a lever. 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the motor moves the table in a first direction during the first half of the cycle and in a second direction during the second half of the cycle. 17. The device of claim 15, wherein the rear support tracks are substantially horizontal and are located at the first level. 18. The device of claim 10, further comprising a conveyor mounted on the table extending parallel to the front and rear edges. \ i 19. A luggage tumbler for tumbling luggage carrier trays, characterized in that it has a substantially horizontal table having a front edge and a rear edge; there is a conveyor mounted on the table, parallel to the front and rear edges; a holder for holding the luggage carrier trays on the conveyor; a pair of front support wheels spaced at a first distance; there is a pair of rear support wheels spaced a second distance apart; a first pair of wheel guide rails for supporting and guiding the front support wheels, the front pair of wheel guide rails having a first end at a first level and a second end at a second level; a second pair of wheel guide rails for supporting and guiding the rear support wheels, wherein the second pair of wheel guide rails is located substantially at the first level and substantially horizontally; and It has a linear actuator that moves the table on wheel-mounted guide rails. A method for handling baggage, characterized in that a) transporting luggage carrier trays on a conveyor at a first speed; b) diverting at least a portion of the baggage carrier trays conveyed on the conveyor to an intermediate collection container, thereby creating a collection line; and c) the luggage is unloaded from the diverted trays at a second speed independent of the conveyor speed. 21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that after unloading the luggage, the trays are also removed. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second speed is substantially constant. 23. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that each tray is tipped over to unload the luggage. 24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that the front part of the tray is moved in a curved and downward path during unloading. 25. The method of claim 24, characterized in that the rear part of the tray is moved in a substantially horizontal path during unloading. . oQ>. {'3s. The authorized person. GÖDÖLLE, BLUE^ 4 TAILORS Office of the Sabah Governor 1024 Budapest, Keleti Károly u. 13/b László Kékes, patent attorney